Album
by Leebot
Summary: Vignettes from the life of Shizuru and Natsuki, as they build a life together. Co-authored with Raijin Tora.
1. A Private Christmas

**Title:** Album

**Rating:** K+

**Chapter 1:** A Private Christmas

X-X-X

"Your turn now," Natsuki said, reaching under the tree to take out the present she'd gotten for Shizuru. After getting back from Mai's Christmas party, Natsuki and Shizuru had taken some time to relax together. They'd watched a Christmas special together, and when it was over, Natsuki was able to wait no longer. She'd gone over to tree, and after a quick gift of a brand new rawhide bone to keep their dog occupied, it was time for the gift she'd gotten for Shizuru.

Shizuru smiled as Natsuki handed the package to her, though her gaze was focused on Natsuki's face more so than the package itself. "Thank you, Natsuki," she said.

Natsuki blinked. She could feel Shizuru's gaze on her, and it was beginning to cause a blush to rise to her cheeks. "O-oi!" she said. She furrowed her brow and tried to meet Shizuru's gaze with one of her own, but it didn't seem to have quite the same effect.

A twinkle in Shizuru's eye gave Natsuki the impression that she had a comment in mind – most likely calling Natsuki's display cute – but apparently she decided to hold it back this time, much to Natsuki's relief. She finally looked down at the present and began to unwrap it. Her expression grew curious as she revealed what first appeared to be a large, thick book, but realization soon dawned in her eyes. "Natsuki..."

"Well..." Natsuki said, glancing away from Shizuru a bit nervously. "You kept taking pictures of me... Or asking me to take one of you, or Kiyoran... You said you wanted to always be able to remember it all. I just figured I'd help you out a bit."

Shizuru was silent for a bit. Eventually, Natsuki dared to look back at Shizuru. "Z-zuru?" she said. "Are you alright?"

Shizuru smiled softly, tracing her hands across the cover of the album. Natsuki had picked out one of her favorite pictures of her and Shizuru to place there, and it seemed that it had had the desired effect. "Natsuki... I..." Shizuru began to say, but she cut herself off. She looked up at Natsuki, her gaze soft, adoring. "Thank you..."

Natsuki blinked. She'd figured that Shizuru would like this, but she hadn't expected it to affect her this much – at least until she began looking through it, that was. "Are you... are you alright, Shizuru?"

"I'm fine... I just..." Shizuru said, her voice carefully steady. "I always assumed that Natsuki thought I was just being silly when I took pictures of her... She always seemed so camera-shy. I... I didn't think Natsuki would ever do something like this."

"Oh..." Natsuki said. She reached a hand over and placed it on Shizuru's knee. "Zuru... You know I think you can be silly at times... but I love you for it." Natsuki reached her hand up to Shizuru's chin, and she leaned in to capture her love's lips in a gentle kiss. Her lips traced slowly against Shizuru's, reminding Shizuru that she was there. She'd always be there; her love was unconditional. She loved Shizuru for all of her quirks, all of her silliness.

"Besides..." Natsuki said as she finally pulled back from the kiss. "As I put this together... I think I realized that you were right. I... well... Just open it. You'll see."

Shizuru simply smiled at this. She nodded slowly, and she bit her lips as she looked down at the album and opened it up. Through all of this, Natsuki found her gaze locked to Shizuru's cheeks, which had filled with a delightful pink blush.

X-X-X

**Author's Note:** Stay tuned! I'll try to post a new chapter every day or two through the holiday season. Hope you all enjoy this!


	2. Moving Day

**Title:** Album

**Rating:** K+

**Chapter 2:** Moving Day

X-X-X

_The first page of the album contains a picture of an exhausted Natsuki relaxing on Shizuru's couch, worn out from moving all of her belongings into the house. A few boxes can be seen in the background, and a glass of ice water is on the coffee table in front of Natsuki._

Shizuru placed a hand on Natsuki's shoulder, gently massaging it. Natsuki let out a soft moan as Shizuru's hand helped to soothe her aching muscles. "Mm... that feels good. Thanks, Zuru..." she said.

"Of course," Shizuru said. She moved over and placed her other hand on Natsuki's other shoulder, working her girlfriend's muscles to try to ease out the tension. "You're working so hard today... you could at least let me help you out a bit more."

"You are helping..." Natsuki said, letting herself melt just a bit under Shizuru's touch. "Besides, I'm almost done." Natsuki's apartment had been almost completely destroyed during the Carnival, along with most of her belongings. She'd since moved into a dorm room, and she'd been slowly working to buy back some of what she used to own, but she hadn't gotten all that far before she'd made the decision to move in with Shizuru, and so she didn't have all that much that needed to be moved.

The dorm room was just too lonely over the summer, Natsuki had found, and the thought of letting another student move in with her just rubbed Natsuki the wrong way. At the end of summer vacation, she'd made her decision. Shizuru's house was far away from campus, but it was worth it. She'd been getting more comfortable with Shizuru day by day, and she'd found herself spending the night at Shizuru's place more and more often. It wasn't just after they'd been intimate, either. Natsuki just found herself wanting someone to hold while she slept. Of course, she wasn't going to admit this to Shizuru. She had her pride after all, even if it was taking a bit of a hit right now from the way Shizuru's massage had gotten Natsuki purring contentedly.

Natsuki felt Shizuru place a kiss on the top of her head, and her cheeks soon filled with a blush. Shizuru patted Natsuki's shoulders and headed off. From the sound of her footsteps, Natsuki figured that she was heading to the car to bring in some more boxes, so Natsuki quickly turned her head around and said, "Oi! Wait, Shizuru! Let me do that... Most of those boxes are pretty heavy."

Shizuru paused in her step and turned back. "I think I can handle it, Natsuki. I'm stronger than I look. After all, wielding a Naginata takes a fair bit more strength than a pair of guns."

Natsuki furrowed her brow at this. "Those things had a lot of recoil, you know," she said as she got up and began to follow Shizuru toward the car. "Besides, carrying my bike is where I worked up most of my strength, and that was definitely heavier than your naginata."

Shizuru smiled at this and let out a laugh. She leaned over and planted a kiss on Natsuki's cheek, much to Natsuki's confusion. "Alright," she said. "I'll let you bring in the rest of the boxes. But my offer still stands if you need any help."

Natsuki growled at this. She had a feeling she'd just been tricked somehow, but she couldn't quite put her finger on how. Perhaps Shizuru was just acting like she'd planned this, in order to save face. Yes, that had to be it.

X-X-X

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for the reviews! Yes, I am alive. I've been working on other projects recently, however. Perhaps I'll put up a link on my LJ in a few days, to satisfy your curiosity of what I've been putting my creative energy toward.


	3. Visitors

**Title:** Album

**Rating:** K+

**Chapter 3:** Visitors

X-X-X

_The second page of the album contains a picture of Natsuki sitting on the couch, smiling at a small dog in her lap. Another dog is curled up beside her, sleeping soundly._

Natsuki was just about to put her schoolbag down when she paused in her step, staring at the couch. On it, a beige-colored poodle sat up and gazed back at her, while a terrier of some sort was cuddled up next to it. The poodle tilted its head to the side and let out a questioning bark, which mirrored Natsuki's own confusion.

"Um... Shizuru?" Natsuki called out, hoping her girlfriend could provide an explanation to these dogs. No reply came from Shizuru, but the poodle on the couch let out a yip in response to Natsuki's call. Natsuki furrowed her brow as she thought about this. Deciding to try Shizuru's cell phone, Natsuki pulled her own phone out of her pocket, only to notice that she'd just missed a call from Shizuru. Of course; that was it. She'd been riding her bike on the way home from school, so she wouldn't have been able to hear the phone ringing. Thankfully, Shizuru had left her a voicemail message, so Natsuki went ahead and played it.

"Ara, Natsuki," Shizuru's voice said. "Apparently my aunt is having some trouble with her health today. She lives on her own, so my cousin Chisato has gone to take care of her until she gets better. This has all come up rather suddenly, however, and so Chisato had to request that we take care of her dogs while she's gone. I hope you won't mind, but I agreed. I have to run out and do a quick errand right now, but hopefully I'll be back before you get home. If not, just spend some time getting to know them. I'm sure they'll be quick to grow on you."

Natsuki let out a chuckle. Of course there'd be a reasonable explanation like that... though she did find herself oddly disappointed that these puppies weren't to keep. She shook her head. She could talk with Shizuru about that later. For now, she had a pair of puppies to pay attention to.

Natsuki put away her phone and sat down on the couch next to the two dogs, patting her lap to encourage them to come up on it. The terrier was mostly asleep right now, but the poodle took her up on her invitation, and it came up to greet Natsuki. "Hello there..." Natsuki said, patting its head. "Hmm, what should I call you...? Let me see..." Natsuki reached for the dog's collar, searching through its tags until she found the one with its name: Shizuru.

"Great," Natsuki said, rolling her eyes. "That'll keep things simple... I suppose Shizuru's cousin saw something in you that reminded her of Shizuru, though I do wish she'd thought this through a bit more..."

The puppy tilted her head as she looked up at Natsuki, trying to understand what she was saying. "Aroo?" she said, which caused Natsuki to burst out into laughter.

"Okay, you win, you can be a Shizuru too," she said, leaning down and planting a kiss on Shizuru-puppy's head. "Now, what about you..." Natsuki said to the other puppy. She coaxed it to roll over, and she dug out its nametag as well. "...Of course. Why didn't I guess?" she said as the nametag was revealed: Natsuki. "Shizuru's going to get a stern talking to about what she's been telling her cousin... but I'm certainly not going to take that out on you, Natsuki-puppy..." Natsuki stroked the dog's stomach slowly, a smile slowly forming across her face.

"I see Natsuki has made some new friends," came Shizuru's voice from the hallway.

"Gah!" Natsuki nearly jumped in her seat, though she thankfully managed to avoid dislodging the puppy on her lap. "Where did... How did you get home without me hearing you?" she demanded.

"If I had to guess..." Shizuru said, approaching the couch and reaching down to stroke Natsuki-puppy's stomach. "I would say that Natsuki was simply distracted. Not that I'm at all surprised." Shizuru leaned down and planted a quick kiss on Natsuki's cheek, which was already a bright shade of red.

Natsuki let out a sigh. She supposed there were worse things to be caught doing than giving a couple dogs some love.


	4. Stories

**Author's Note:** My apologies for the delay with this one; I was travelling yesterday and couldn't find time to write.

I should note that most of these scenes are based on RP I've done with Raijin Tora, so a big thanks to her for all of the ideas. This chapter in particular includes a fair bit of her writing, so thanks especially for that!

X-X-X

**Title:** Album

**Rating:** K+

**Chapter 4:** Stories

X-X-X

_The third page of the album contains a picture of Natsuki and Chisato sitting on the couch together. Shizupuppy is curled up in Natsuki's lap, being stroked by the woman._

Things had gotten lonely around the house after Chisato's puppies had left. Natsuki found herself glued to Shizuru more than usual, which resulted in more than one tease about her being Shizuru's puppy. Shizuru did notice that something was on Natsuki's mind though, and they'd ended up having a good conversation about getting a dog. As it turned out, they had enough spare money to afford it, so it was simply a matter of figuring out what breed they wanted, and where to get it.

But in the meantime, Natsuki was quite fortunate that Chisato was willing to bring the puppies over for a playdate. As much as she'd missed them though, they just seemed to have far more energy than Natsuki did, and so eventually she'd ended up taking a break, and simply chatting with Chisato while Shizuru had gone off to the kitchen to prepare some tea.

"Shizuru told me that you were thinking of getting a dog of your own," Chisato said.

Natsuki nodded. "Un. We are thinking about it, and we will eventually." She gazed out towards the other side of the living room. "We're not sure what we'll get yet, but that's okay. We'll figure that out when we get to that point."

Natsupuppy hopped up onto the couch beside Chisato and lay down. Chisato tickled the back of Natsupuppy's neck in just the right way to get the puppy to roll over onto her back, where she gave the dog a nice belly rub. "I'll be sure to give you the numbers of the breeders I got these two from, in case you decide on a Norfolk or a poodle. Who knows, you might even be able to get one of their cousins."

"Shizuru and I will appreciate that," Natsuki said. Shizupuppy hopped up onto the couch to join her friend, and Natsuki reached over to pet Shizupuppy on the head, scratching behind her ears. "We'll keep our options open," she said.

"Oh, of course." Chisato said. "This isn't a decision you want to rush. You're adding a member of the family after all."

"Of course it isn't. It's a big step and we need to make sure we're both ready for the addition and that we'll be able to support it and ourselves," Natsuki replied.

Chisato spent a few moments just patting Natsupuppy, and eventually she said, "Natsuki-san? You mind if I ask how you and Shizuru got together? I love a good romance story, but Shizuru has been tight-lipped about it all."

Natsuki's eyes glanced over to Chisato at the inquiry. If Shizuru had been refusing to tell her, then her cousin didn't know anything about what had really happened. Most people weren't aware of the HiME anyway, so it wouldn't be any surprise.

Natuski sighed and said, "There are parts that she doesn't wish to recall." She closed her eyes, deciding that, at least, she could omit a lot of it and shorten it so that she didn't have to reveal too many bits of information she'd rather not reveal outside of her own circle of friends. "We met in middle school. I was a couple grades below her, but I was going through a really tough time in my life. She managed to befriend me and worm her way into my heart, and, over time, we became friends.

"Shizuru... she helped me open up and listened to me. She helped me with a lot of other things, and even if I didn't tell her everything, she continued to stand by my side. We went through a series of rough patches, and it wound up with me confronting her. I was still at a time when I was trying to figure myself out, and even though I knew she loved me, I did care about her. We started over, and our relationship improved after her graduation. A while after she had been in university, I began to figure out my feelings towards her. Through a series of events, I knew for certain that I was in love with my best friend and confessed to her in one of the only ways I felt was perfect for her - what she deserved." Natsuki leaned against the back of the couch and let out a sigh. "We've been together ever since."

Natsuki glanced over at Chisato, noticing that the story had brought a smile to her lips. "Thank you," Chisato said. "I'm really glad you got together. Shizuru's seemed so different since she hooked up with you. She's certainly been a lot less distant."

Natsuki sent the older girl a questioning look. She had always wondered what Shizuru had been like before they met. "Was she... always like that?" she said.

"Not always..." Chisato said. "I think it was around middle school or so that something seemed to change in her. She was trying to be the perfect daughter and student, but I think it was around then that she started to realize she was gay. I didn't see her through all of it, so I don't know exactly how she changed, though. It went from her being herself, and honestly trying to be the best she could be, to her wearing a mask of being perfect while she tried to forget about the fact that she could never actually be the 'perfect' woman she used to imagine herself as. I think she did accept herself, but she still had it ingrained into her that her love was wrong - I know that's certainly what my parents tried to teach me. You just can't avoid that message these days.

"It really wasn't until you accepted her that she started to change back into the person she used to be, where she could actually be proud of her love for you." Chisato smiled softly. "You can see the change in her eyes, if you've known her as long as I have. They have that sparkle again, that they aren't trying to hide anything. I was so happy for her, and thankful to you, that... well..." She glanced down at the two puppies. "It just might have influenced my choice of names for these two. Maybe."

Natsuki let all of this information sink into her head, and then it dawned on her that she might have noticed the change if she hadn't been so focused on herself during their first few days together in middle school. Emerald eyes glanced out towards the kitchen, where she knew Shizuru would be. This really reinforced how important it was that what she was doing for Shizuru was a lot more than Shizuru had expected. She had apparently helped Shizuru to fully accept herself and realize that her love was healthy. Natsuki's expression softened merely from the thought, though she wasn't aware that it had changed "Then it all makes sense..."

"Puppy treats are coming~" Shizuru called out as she passed through the door into the living room. She held a bowl a green-tea-flavoured water in one hand and a bottle of mayo in the other. While the puppies were visiting, Shizuru and Natsuki realized that the puppies shared their favorite foods, though oddly their preferences were reversed from the human Shizuru and Natsuki. Natsuki suspected that it was a subconscious cue from Chisato that led to this, but of course, there was no way to test that theory.

As Shizuru circled the couch, she put the bowl on the floor, which very quickly grabbed Natsupuppy's attention, while she held up the bottle of mayo in front of Natsuki and Shizupuppy. Natsuki immediately perked up at the sight of mayo, though her thoughts and attention remained mainly on Shizuru. She felt like sweeping her off her feet and kissing her senseless, but that wouldn't quite work. Natsuki had had no idea that she'd struggled for much longer about her feelings, before they'd even met. She couldn't relate because she hadn't had that influence on her when she was growing up.

Shizuru raised an eyebrow at Natsuki, but her attention was soon stolen by the two puppies. Both were quite excited now, judging by their wagging tails, but neither had made a move for their treats yet. "Ara, so well-trained you two are." Shizuru said, patting Natsupuppy's head and smiling at Chisato. "Would Natsuki like to help them earn their treats?" she asked, turning to Natsuki.

Natsuki didn't even know why she'd had that conversation with Chisato in the first place. Maybe everything had a reason... or maybe they just had a conversation just to get to know one another better. Either way, Natsuki's understanding for Shizuru had been strengthened, even though her girlfriend was completely unaware. Suddenly, in what she suspected would surprise Shizuru, Natsuki smiled. She didn't say anything - she simply smiled.

"Ara?" Shizuru smiled back and tilted her head at Natsuki, though she quickly glanced away for some reason. She cleared her throat and said, "Or perhaps the puppies have already earned their treat by cuddling my Natsuki so well..."

Perhaps Natsuki should wait until Chisato and the puppies had left before she acted. But whatever she did, she wanted to affect Shizuru without having to reveal much "Hm... they've certainly been giving me attention this whole time," she said, keeping to Shizuru's subject so her love wouldn't suspect anything just yet.

"Perfect," Shizuru said with a smile. Glancing at Chisato to get a nod of approval, she gave Natsuki the bottle of mayo so she could feed Shizupuppy, while she brought the bowl of tea-water up to Natsupuppy and gave her an encouraging, "Good girl!"

Natsuki put a small amount of mayo on her finger and offered it to Shizupuppy, while sneaking in a little bit for herself, savoring the taste. "Mm~"

"Oi!" Chisato said. "Don't you steal mayo from my puppy!" She gave an exaggerated pout, and Shizuru broke out into laughter at this display.

Natsuki made a face "B-but... you mean this wasn't MY mayo container?" Her gaze turned towards Shizuru. She didn't mind sharing with Shizupuppy out of her own container, but if this wasn't hers to begin with...

"No no, that's yours, Natsuki," Shizuru said with a smile. "But you do have to work on your teasing resistance. Against people other than me, that is."

"Erk." Natsuki looked at her girlfriend bewilderingly. "E-er..." She didn't really care, actually. Shizuru seemed to be happy, and that was all that mattered to her right now.


	5. Rescued

**Author's Note:** Merry Christmas, everyone!

X-X-X

**Title:** Album

**Rating:** K+

**Chapter 5:** Rescued

X-X-X

_The fourth page shows a picture of a young puppy, apparently some sort of terrier mix. His coat is brown, with one white spot over his right ear. He's looking upward curiously, as if trying to figure out what's going on with the camera that's taking his picture._

Natsuki sat on the floor of the study, watching the puppy in front of her intently. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully enough now, which was better than Natsuki could say for herself. She couldn't get over how someone could abandon a dog, like had happened to this one. It was just dumb luck that she'd been able to hear his whine as she drove by on her motorcycle. It seemed amazing that she could hear it at all over the sound of her bike, but the puppy's pained whimper seemed to cut through everything. Natsuki had heard him, and so she'd found him... rescued him.

Natsuki had ended up walking the rest of the way home, the dog in her arms. She'd been barely able to hold herself together, but thankfully, Shizuru had been there to help. Shizuru had been affected by the sight of the poor dog almost as much as Natsuki, but together, the two of them had managed to put aside their own worries for the dog's sake. Shizuru hadn't quite trusted herself to drive, but with Chisato's help, they'd managed to bring the dog to the vet. As it turned out, the only things wrong with him – at least physically – were dehydration and having gone without food for a day.

Mentally, however... Natsuki was still worried about him, even if he showed no particular signs of being traumatized. He already seemed to trust both her and Shizuru. Natsuki was sure she'd never forget the way he'd reached out and licked her hand in the vet's office, just after she'd said his name for the first time: "Kiyoran."

Kiyoran had been frightened the entire day, and Natsuki had refused to go to bed until she was sure that he'd at least been able to settle down to sleep. Even after she'd gone to bed, however, she wasn't able to sleep well herself. She'd ended up giving up on it early in the morning, and she'd come to check on Kiyoran. Although he was sound asleep right now, Natsuki still worried about him. Would he be able to learn to trust people, or would being abandoned like this hold him back for life? He was so young... he deserved a chance. Natsuki wouldn't bear to see him denied an opportunity for a happy life. Whatever it took, she would do it for him.

"Natsuki?" came a whisper from behind Natsuki.

Natsuki turned her head, smiling weakly at Shizuru. "Hey there, Zuru," she said. "Couldn't sleep..."

Shizuru nodded her head. She sat down beside Natsuki and placed a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder, smiling softly. "He'll be alright, Natsuki. He's strong, just like you. Life may have been hard to him at first, but I promise you, it will be better from here on out. He'll be happy, if I have to spend every waking moment trying to entertain him."

Natsuki let out a soft chuckle. "I'm sure you won't have to do that much." She brought up her hand to Shizuru's and gave it a squeeze. "But thanks." Natsuki leaned her head against her and Shizuru's intertwined hands, and she gazed down at the puppy. Their puppy. Kiyoran. "...We have a dog," Natsuki said, a smile crossing her lips at last. "And he has us."

In his sleep, Kiyoran rolled over onto his side, and he let out what seemed to be a sigh. He was going to be alright, Natsuki knew. He would have a good life.


	6. Family Moment

**Title:** Album

**Rating:** K+

**Chapter 6:** Family Moment

X-X-X

_The fifth page has a picture of Shizuru and Natsuki together on the couch, Kiyoran in Natsuki's lap. Natsuki couldn't remember when it was taken, but she guessed that Chisato had taken it during one of her visits with her puppies._

Natsuki glanced over at Shizuru as her love entered the living room, then looked again. "What's got you so happy?" she asked as she gazed at the smile on Shizuru's face.

"Kiyoran," Shizuru said simply. She sat down on the couch beside Natsuki, then leaned over and planted a kiss on her love's cheek. "I think he's learning to use the newspaper now when he needs to do his business. I found some of his pee on one of the paper's we'd put out for him. I wanted to go find him and give him a tre-Um, a 'you-know-what' for it, but I figured it would be too long afterward for him to associate it. It still got me in a good mood, though, to see that he's learning."

Natsuki grinned at this as well, though she was actually just as proud of Shizuru as of Kiyoran. Even though she'd bonded quite well with Kiyoran, Shizuru had still had a lot to learn about taking care of a dog. But just like Kiyoran, she was learning. Natsui leaned over and returned Shizuru's kiss with a kiss of her own to Shizuru's cheek. "Good for him. And good for you as well, Zuru."

Shizuru seemed a bit confused by this remark at first, but she didn't question it. Instead, she simply snuggled up with Natsuki and joined her love in watching television. Her arm reached around Natsuki, gently embracing her.

It wasn't long before Natsuki heard the sound of a soft whimper coming from near Shizuru's feet. "Ara?" Shizuru said, looking down to find that Kiyoran was pawing at the couch. He wasn't big enough yet to jump up on the couch, so Shizuru reached down to pick him up and help him join them. As soon as he was up on her lap, Kiyoran climbed up Shizuru's chest to try to reach her face and give it a couple kisses. Almost before he was done though, he hopped over to Natsuki's lap and did the same thing, his tail wagging wildly as he did so.

"It looks like Shizuru isn't the only one who's happy today," Natsuki mused, smiling at the puppy as she patted him. Kiyoran rubbed his head up into her hand for a minute before he settled down in her lap.

"Indeed," Shizuru said. "Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I do believe that's quite a wide smile on Natsuki's face."

Natsuki snorted. "If that's your attempt at a tease, you've lost your touch."

"Who says it's a tease?" Shizuru said. She snuggled up just a bit closer to Natsuki, and her hand slowly stroked up and down Natsuki's side. "I'm just happy to see you happy. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Hmph," Natsuki said. "Silly woman..." Natsuki let out a sigh. This was quite nice, even if she wasn't going to simply admit it out loud. They had the whole family here right now, and Natsuki really couldn't ask for more.

"...Natsuki?" Shizuru said after a while.

"Yeah?"

"I think... I want to stay like this."

Natsuki blinked, trying to process Shizuru's words. A blush slowly filled her cheeks as one possibility occurred to her. "Um, are you asking me to...?"

Shizuru chuckled, shaking her head. "It's not my place to ask," she said. "But when Natsuki does feel ready to ask, I want her to know what my answer will be."

Natsuki didn't reply to this. A minute later, she simply turned her head and planted a kiss on Shizuru's cheek. For some reason, her heart felt just a bit lighter now.


	7. The Little Things

**Author's Note:** My apologies for the delay with this chapter. I hope it's worth the wait, though!

X-X-X

**Title:** Album

**Rating:** K+

**Chapter 7:** The Little Things

X-X-X

_The sixth page of the album shows a picture of a Christmas tree set up in the living room, with a few presents beneath it. Kiyoran is sniffing at one of the presents, as if he smells something interesting inside._

Natsuki was feeling spoiled today. She hadn't celebrated Christmas in a long time, and so she'd almost forgotten about it. She was just thankful that Shizuru had recommend that she and Natsuki get a gift for Chisato and her dogs. If that incident hadn't jogged her memory, it was quite likely that Natsuki would have been caught completely unawares by the holiday, and more importantly, by the need to get something for Shizuru.

Coming up with even one gift for Shizuru was difficult, but since her birthday was so close to Christmas, Natsuki had already used up all of her good ideas for it. Thankfully, Shizuru seemed to pick up on this fact, and she'd let Natsuki know that she didn't need to go all out for Christmas. Even so, Natsuki felt a bit guilty about not doing something special, and so she'd gone on a search of every shop in Fuuka until she'd found something Shizuru might like: a small, purple, four-headed stuffed hydra. It wasn't quite Kiyohime, but it was frankly a miracle to get even this close with a plushie.

Shizuru had practically squealed in joy when she unwrapped the plushie. The way she immediately hugged it to her chest caused Natsuki to smile despite herself. Shizuru was indeed silly, but Natsuki found herself loving Shizuru for it. She leaned over and planted a kiss on Shizuru's cheek, whispering words of love to Shizuru, which were soon returned.

Kiyoran was up next. Chisato (and apparently her own puppies) had bought him some new toys, which were labelled as "stuffing-free." Given the way the teething puppy worked through everything he could get his mouth on, this seemed to be perfect for him. Also included with the toys was a new rawhide bone, which would probably last him two days at most, by Natsuki's estimation, but that was fine; it was Christmas after all. Shizuru and Natsuki had gotten him a more practical present for Christmas: a new, adult-sized collar, plus some winter-wear for the coming cold days. Shizuru seemed quite happy with the gift, and proud of how their puppy was growing up, even if Kiyoran seemed to care more about his new bone.

It was Natsuki's gifts that really made the day, though. The first was a brown stuffed puppy, which made Natsuki chuckle at the fact that Shizuru had had a similar idea to her. The second present from Shizuru was a copy of the video game she'd been gawking at for months, and had only avoided buying after some not-so-subtle hints from Shizuru. Natsuki grinned at this, and leaned over to give Shizuru another kiss in thanks. It was the present after that that really made her feel spoiled, though: A brand-new smartphone. Natsuki's eyes opened wide as she stared at it, thinking about just how expensive it must have been. "Shi... zuru... you didn't have to..."

Shizuru smiled softly at Natsuki. "I believe that one's from my parents, actually," she said. "My father can get good deals on new phones that his company makes parts for, so he always likes to spoil me with the newer models. This just means he now considers you part of the family as well."

"...O-oh..." Natsuki said weakly, staring at the phone. She'd only met Kenichi Fujino a couple of times, when he and his wife had come to Fuuka to visit Shizuru. She hadn't really thought she'd made that much of an impression on him, but it wasn't as if she was paying that much attention to his reactions. She was mostly just trying to get through the visits without embarrassing herself or Shizuru, and so she didn't waste any effort trying to try to gauge the reaction of Shizuru's parents.

She must have done a good job though, and impressed them somehow, if they were considering her family now. _Family..._ Natsuki blinked, trying to keep tears from coming to her eyes. She turned back to the Christmas tree and pulled out the final present, needing some distraction before she lost control of herself. It was a small box, and Natsuki didn't have any idea what could be in it. The thought of a ring briefly crossed her mind, but Shizuru probably would find another occasion for that if that were the case.

Natsuki blinked as she opened the box. A key? She pulled it out of the box and looked at it, reading the tag that had come attached: "Fujino residence."

"Shizuru...?" Natsuki said, her heart beating in her chest as she stared at this key.

"It's for my parents' home," Shizuru said. She moved over and wrapped an arm around Natsuki's shoulders, then leaned down and planted a kiss on Natsuki's cheek. "My mother wanted me to tell you, you'll always have a home with her and my father. She says – and these are her words – she knows how happy you've made me, and she can never thank you enough. This may not be much, but..."

"No," Natsuki said. It was no use now. Tears had begun to flow from her eyes, and there was just no stopping them. She forced herself to keep her eyes open and looked at Shizuru. "It is. It's everything. I... I have a family again..."

Natsuki wrapped her arms tightly around Shizuru. She wouldn't let go for anything at this moment, and if she had her way, she'd never be without Shizuru for the rest of her life. In the back of her mind, the decision was made.


	8. Ring

**Title:** Album

**Rating:** K+

**Chapter 8:** Ring

X-X-X

_The seventh page of the album shows a picture of Natsuki in her bed, clutching a pillow to her chest in her sleep. Kiyoran is lying down behind her, pressed up tightly to her back. A letter and a small box can be seen on the nearby desk._

The sound of a whimper caught Shizuru's ear. Kiyoran wasn't one to whimper without a very good reason, so Shizuru put down her book and got up to check on him. "Kiyo-chan?" she called out. "Where are you, puppy?"

Kiyoran let out a yelp, which guided Shizuru toward her and Natsuki's bedroom. Kiyoran was sitting down in front of the door, one paw pressed up against it. He turned his head and looked back at Shizuru as she approached, though he didn't move from the door.

Shizuru furrowed her brow as she tried to figure out what Kiyoran was up to. He seemed to want into the bedroom, but... _Wait, why's the door closed?_ Perhaps Natsuki was changing her clothes, but she usually didn't bother to close the door for that any more, and this was an odd time for that anyway. Shizuru reached out and knocked gently on the door. "Natsuki?"

No answer was immediately forthcoming from behind the door, though Kiyoran let out a whimper at the sound of Natsuki's name. Shizuru felt a sudden ache in her heart, at the thought that something might be seriously wrong.

"Natsuki? Are you all right in there?" Shizuru said, a bit of worry entering her voice now.

"...I-I'm fine..." came Natsuki's voice from the other side of the door. "You can come in..."

Shizuru cracked open the door and peeked in. Natsuki was sitting on the bed, a piece of paper in her one hand and a small box in the other. "Natsuki..." she said as she entered the room, Kiyoran at her heel. The puppy soon ran around her leg and forward to Natsuki, sitting down at her foot and looking up at her, whimpering softly in sympathy.

Natsuki couldn't help but smile weakly at the puppy. She reached a hand down and patted him. "Sorry to make you worry..." she said. "Just... this wasn't something I was expecting to deal with today."

Shizuru approached the bed and sat down next to Natsuki. She wrapped an arm around Natsuki's shoulders and let Natsuki rest her head on her shoulder. Natsuki passed the piece of paper to Shizuru, and she read it:

_Natsuki, I thought you might like to have this. It was your mother's engagement ring. It's the least I can do for walking out of your life all those years..._

The letter continued, but Shizuru didn't need to read any more to realize how this must have affected Natsuki. Shizuru put the letter down and placed a hand on Natsuki's knee. "How are you doing, Suki?"

Natsuki let out a low growl and shook her head. "What did he... why now? He's had that for all these years... I don't know where it's been, who's worn it. And he suddenly springs this on me, like he wants to get back in my life, as if he'd done even the slightest thing to deserve it."

Shizuru was silent for a long while. It was hard for her to relate to this. Her relationship with her parents hadn't been perfect, but in her case, she'd done her own part to pull away from them. Natsuki's case was quite different, though. Her father had abandoned her, and that wasn't something that could easily be forgiven. Perhaps it wasn't even something that should be forgiven. This gesture was nice, but it couldn't make up for everything.

"...Perhaps..." Shizuru said, "don't think about your father right now, love... Maybe just think about the ring. Maybe forget the fact that he was the one who sent it to you. It could just be a memorial for your mother."

Natsuki was silent for a long while. "I... I don't know..." she said.

"It can mean whatever you want it to mean, Natsuki. It can be a reminder of your mother, not of your father." Shizuru squeezed Natsuki a bit in her embrace. "A memory of her love, even now that she's gone."

Natsuki didn't reply to this. She simply closed her eyes and buried her head in Shizuru's chest. Shizuru brought her hands to Natsuki's back, and she slowly stroked it until Natsuki finally seemed to relax a bit.

"You don't have to decide anything now, Natsuki," Shizuru said. She leaned down and planted a kiss on Natsuki's head. "Just spend some time here now... with me... with Kiyo-chan."

Natsuki shifted in Shizuru's embrace, pulling back so she could look up into Shizuru's eyes and give her a weak smile. "Thanks, Zuru..." At the sound of a small yelp from the floor, Natsuki smiled a bit wider. She turned and picked Kiyoran up, holding him in her lap and patting him slowly. "And thanks Kiyo... I really am lucky to have you and Shizuru."


	9. Kenichi

**Title:** Album

**Rating:** K+

**Chapter 9:** Kenichi

X-X-X

_The eighth page of the album shows a picture of Shizuru and Natsuki sitting down on a loveseat together. Across from them sits a blond-haired man with Kiyoran cuddled up next to his leg._

"I should go check on dinner," Naomi Fujino said, getting up from her chair. She gave her daughter a pointed glance as she did this, which didn't go unnoticed by Natsuki. She wasn't sure quite what the meaning of it was, but Shizuru seemed to pick up on it well enough.

"Let me come help, Mother," Shizuru said, getting up. Natsuki instinctively reached out for Shizuru's hand, realizing that this was a ploy to get her to spend some time alone with Shizuru's father. Shizuru didn't seem fazed by this, however. She simply gave Natsuki's hand an encouraging squeeze before she slipped away to the kitchen with her mother.

Natsuki glared at the back of Shizuru's head as her love walked away. She'd talked with each of the Fujinos before, at a dinner here and there when they came to Fuuka to visit Shizuru, and for a bit now that Natsuki and Shizuru had come to visit them, but she'd always had Shizuru's support when she did so. Shizuru obviously wanted to give Natsuki a chance to interact on her own with Shizuru's father, though Natsuki wasn't feeling particularly appreciative of that right now.

Natsuki bit her lip as she thought of what to say. Her eyes roamed the room for ideas, until they eventually settled on Kiyoran, who was currently cuddled up next to Kenichi Fujino. The dog had taken to him quite naturally, and he to Kiyoran as well. He seemed to be quite a dog person, which got Natsuki wondering... "Have you ever had a dog before?" she said.

"Ah, yes, I did, in fact," Kenichi said. His gaze drifted off into space as memories seemed to overtake him, while his hand moved to scratch the back of Kiyoran's neck. "Apollo was his name, and he lived up to his namesake. Well, mostly. Very smart, but that's expected of a border collie. Always brought the sun into our lives, figuratively speaking of course."

Memories of Duran came to Natsuki's mind while Kenichi spoke of his dog. While she had had a wire fox terrier, a border collie was a lovely breed. Very sharp by nature, and great herding dogs. If Kiyoran hadn't come into their lives, Natsuki might well have picked out a border collie for their next dog.

"What about you, Natsuki-san?" Kenichi said. "Is Kiyoran your first dog?"

Natsuki let out a brief chuckle and shook her head. "Oh no," she said, her mind once again going back to Duran... and then to her other Duran, the Child whom she'd named in honor of her dog. "My family got a dog not long after I was born, so I grew up alongside him. My dad named him Duran, after a British rock band he was a fan of." Natsuki's gaze once more drifted away from Kenichi as she recalled what had happened to Duran. He was taken from her in the same accident that had killed her mother, but he was already pretty old by that point. "...He had a good life," she said, as much to herself as to Kenichi. "I think he was happy."

"I'm sure he was," Kenichi said. "You seem like the type of person who would have been a great companion for him. And I can see for myself just how happy you've made Kiyoran here." Kenichi gave Kiyoran's head a pat as he said this, and the dog in turn rolled over onto his side, pressing his back up against Kenichi. The dog's eye's caught Natsuki's as he did this and he let out a soft grunt and wagged his tail at her.

"...Thanks," Natsuki said, unable to keep herself from smiling. Her nose was telling her that dinner would probably be ready soon though, and there was something she had to ask Kenichi while she had the chance. "Um... speaking of being a companion... there was something I wanted to ask you," she said, not quite meeting his gaze.

"Of course."

"Er, okay, I'm not asking this to be traditional or anything, 'cause that's really not my style," Natsuki said. "I just want to know... Well, I know you've already given me that phone and key and all, so you kind of think of me like family, so... I, uh..."

"Yes," Kenichi said simply.

Natsuki blinked, looking over at him in confusion. She hadn't even asked anything yet.

Shizuru's father got up out of his seat, giving a final pat to Kiyoran, and he walked toward Natsuki. He reached his hand out to her with a proud smile on his face. "You have my blessing, Natsuki. Nothing would make me happier than to see Shizuru married to someone like you."

Natsuki's voice caught in her throat. All she could do was to reach out and take Kenichi's hand in her own, giving it a firm shake.

X-X-X

**Author's Note:** I'll try not to make you wait too long for the next chapter. Within the next couple of days, I promise. Thank you all for reading, and happy Valentine's Day!


	10. A Day to be Lucky

**Author's note:** This chapter will be a bit different from the others, as it's written by a good friend of mine. I'll be sure to forward all comments on it to her.

**Co-author's note: **Hello! This is a friend of Leebot's (Call me Raijin Tora, for future reference). Some of these chapters were part of a series of roleplays he and I participated in together. I decided to write for one of the last photos in this fic's album. It's a personal favorite of mine, so I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. Should be a great end to this series~

Anyway, enjoy!

X-X-X

**Title:** Album

**Rating:** K+

**Chapter 10:** A Day to be Lucky

X-X-X

_One of the last pages displayed a more recent photo, taken from a camera Natsuki had set out to take periodic pictures, to ensure this moment would be preserved forever. In the picture sat both Shizuru and Natsuki on the couch in an embrace. Looking closely, a trail of tears could be seen to streak Shizuru's cheek, though her face was peaceful and content. A soft smile was displayed on her lips, and her eyes were closed. Natsuki's face reflected a similar expression. On Shizuru's finger, however, was a ring, symbolizing the importance of the moment and the meaning behind this particular scene._

"I love you..."

Natsuki had been increasingly affectionate lately, starting with a shoulder rub, then running her fingers through Shizuru's tawny hair, then placing kisses randomly on her face. She sealed it with a soft kiss. And Shizuru had no idea where it all came from, either. She just accepted it happily and decided not to think too much on it.

Truth was, Natsuki had never felt more content and happy than she did right now. Her life was moving forward, and after all those years of struggle, she finally knew the meaning of peace. Shizuru had helped her crawl out of the darkness, and in turn Natsuki had helped keep her from falling into it. A sense of pride filled her chest knowing she'd also helped Shizuru accept herself and realize that her love was healthy.

Leaning down, she placed a finger beneath Shizuru's chin and tilted her head back in order for Natsuki to kiss her again on the lips.

"Ara..." Shizuru said softly, a light tinge of pink filling her cheeks. Natsuki smiled at her, love clearly in her eyes. She brushed the back of her hand against her lover's cheek. There was no way she could resist giving her more affection, and so returned to kissing her face tenderly.

Overwhelmed with all this attention, Shizuru made an attempt to return the favor, but in the end, she allowed Natsuki to take the lead. She let out a sigh, letting her worries wash away with each kiss. Eventually those kisses drifted down to her neck, and there she felt a series of nibbles along her pulse point. "Ara... Natsuki hasn't turned into a vampire, has she?" Shizuru teased.

There was a slight pause, then a soft snort. "Would've drank your blood already if that were the case," she replied, sounding slightly amused. "Bet you'd taste good..."

The blush returned once again, forcing Shizuru to back down this time. Natsuki chuckled, then made her way back up the side of Shizuru's face, stopping at her ear. She nibbled on the earlobe for a moment, then crooned, "You're mine."

Shizuru shivered at this declaration. Where did all this intimacy come from? Her mind quickly went to thoughts best left unspoken, which deepened the red in her cheeks. She would not refuse Natsuki if it came to that. All she had to do was submit and Natsuki cou-

Wait. What was this?

There was suddenly a cool sensation around her ring finger. Something thin and smooth, and... Shizuru let out the breath she was holding, her eyes widening in surprise and her mind going completely blank. Could this be? But... didn't Natsuki want to wait? Was this... was this the right time?

She heard a soft voice close to her ear, "Now everyone will know just how important you are to me." It wasn't a proposition or a declaration. Just a simple statement, and that statement said it all for Shizuru.

While Shizuru had been too wrapped up in her daydreaming, Natsuki had used the opportunity—as well as the distraction—to slip her late mother's ring onto Shizuru's finger, knowing exactly what she meant when she did so.

_It's too early,_ Shizuru's mind protested, but more for Natsuki's sake than her own. _Natsuki hasn't even graduated high school yet!_ A million miles of thought rushed through her mind all at once, and then... she simply brushed it away and didn't care. They both knew what Shizuru's answer was going to be. All it took was the moment that Natsuki felt she was ready to take that next step in her life.

That time, it seemed, was now.

Shizuru clutched at Natsuki's shirt tightly and buried her face in her lover's shoulder. There was no stopping the tears that rolled down her cheeks or the shuddering of her body as she sobbed silently. Words were superfluous, and when it came to Natsuki, sometimes actions spoke more than words.

Natsuki rubbed Shizuru's back, her heart filled with joy, love, and pride. She loved this woman and felt the time was right to take the next step in their relationship. After all they'd been through together, they deserved this. She placed a soft kiss on the crown of Shizuru's head. "I love you, Shizuru..." This was perfect, Natsuki thought.

"S-S-Su..." Shizuru stumbled over her words, trying to get them out without letting the sobs overpower her once again. She opted to just keep it very simple in order to prevent stumbling over a complex speech. "I... I-I love you..." Never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine this would become reality.

"O-oi... Stop that. Y... you're gonna make me cry..." Natsuki's grip on Shizuru tightened as she tried not to let the gentle sobs her fiancé made affect her too much. But damn, it was getting harder to do that. In spite of her efforts, a couple tears managed to slip by.

Shizuru chuckled, amused by Natsuki's attempt to lighten the mood. "N-now we're even..." she said, a bit more calmly.

Pulling back, Shizuru set her gaze on Natsuki's face. Emerald eyes shone brightly with unshed tears, but more importantly, they were filled with love. They couldn't have looked more beautiful in that moment. "Yes. Yes, I will marry you," she replied, the words bearing more weight than almost any other word she would ever utter in her lifetime.

At this point, Natsuki simply could not hide her tears any longer, causing her eyes to shine brightly. Gazing into Shizuru's crimson eyes, she could peer directly into her soul, and despite all of what she did in order to get to this stage in her life, Natsuki still believed that her soul was pure - untainted. The HiME Star did things to your mind and affected you on many levels. Every person that participated reacted differently. Shizuru had done so out of fear and paranoia. In her eyes, removing those obstacles that would do Natsuki harm would ensure her safety and keep her in this world.

She leaned over and placed a kiss on Shizuru's forehead. "Good. I'm glad," she said in a soft whisper.

Two hands cupped Natsuki's face and moved her away a bit, but the moment was brief before Natsuki felt a pair of lips claim her own. The kiss was sweet, loving, full of emotion, and absolutely wonderful at the same time. The two women acted on their own love, strengthened by their bond, not caring about the rest of the world.

To Natsuki, she had found the darkness of her past burned away and the emptiness in her heart filled with someone dearly important to her.

To Shizuru, she had finally seen light of her dreams as they became reality.

They were both deeply in love with each other, and now engaged to be married.

Truly the luckiest.

Life couldn't be any more perfect in that moment.


End file.
